Smoothing or laundry iron.



A. NIOLA.

SMOOTHING 0R LAUNDRY IRON. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1,1911.

1,068,812. Patented July 29, 1913.

4 8 57 T-p sq 5Q WITNESSES; 57 55 INVENTORi 55 art N1 01?.)

ATTORNEYS A. NIOLA.- SMOOITHING 0R LAUNDRY IRON.

APPLICATION FILED 8EPT.1,1 911.

1,068,812. v Pa ented July 29, 1913.

3 BHEETBSHEBT 3.

64 *iii iiiiiililliiii H iii ifi 'W/TNESSES: I 2 v INVENTOHI 7111: arm:01a.

A UNITED sirnrns PATENT ornion,

AL'B'ERT mom, or Hawaii-k, New l sn oranic o3 timbre: 1am.

f '0 (ill whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALi'iEiiT N'r0LA,'a citi- Zen of the United States,residing -at Newark, in the count'yof Essex and State of New Jersey,haveinverited certain new and useful Improvements in Smoothing 01''Laundry Irons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact dethe invention, such as will enappertains to make anduse the same, refer.- en'ce being had to the accompanying drawings, andto Characters -of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference, generally, to

improvements in heating devices; and, the.

present invention relates, more'particular'lyto a novel smoothing orlaundry iron, an I to an electrically heated iron and such details ofimprovements therein, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

especially The invention has for its principal object to provide aheating device, in the form of a smoothing or laundry iron, which willbe very simple in its construction and of v few parts, and the heatingelementof which isin such a manner within the chainarranged bered bodyof the iron so'tliat the heat which is generated by means of the saidheating element is readily distributed to that portion or portions ofthe said body where it will produce the best results, and with the leastexpenditure of electric current;

The invention has for its'flirther object to provide a smoothing orlaundry iron in which all of the parts are made so as to secure economyand facility in construction,

the parts being readily assembled, and just as quickly removed forrepairs; and, whenassembled producing a rigid, strong and durablesmoothing-or laundry iron.

The invention has forits further object to provide in connection withthe electrical heating" element of the iron,- an automatically operatingelectric switch or current interrupter, by means of which when the ironis set upon end or upon its heel portion, the electric circuit isimmediately interrupted,

so that there will be no consumption of the electric current when theiron is not in i158.

The invention also has fora-nether object I Specification orLetter-smear. Pate-magi J 11y2'9,191'3 Application filed Se tember 11911. "Serial No. 647,176.

- to provide in connection with the smoothing 'or laundry iron, means inthefor'ni of, and which may be used as, standards or support ingmembers, by means of which the iron can be suppcrte'd in its reversedposition, so as to serve a heating device, forre'adily moving back andforth ever the heated flat surface ofiits body such articles, 'asnarrowribbons, neck-ties, and the like, which are to be ironed out, or forusing the said flat surface for other heatingpur oses.

Other objects 'Ofthis invention time more particularly enumerated willbe clearly understood from the following detailed description of thepresent invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the saidinvention consists,

primarily, in the novel smoothing or laundry iron hereinafter set forth;and, the in vention consists, furthermore, inthe novel arrangements andcombinations of the various devices and parts, aswell as in the detailsof the construction 'of the said parts, all of which will be more fullydescribed in the following specification and then finally" embodied inthe clauses of the claim which I are appended toand which forma-n'essential part of the said specification.

The-invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is'a side elevation of a smoothing jor laundry iron madeaccording to and embodying the principles of the present invention,representing the iron in the position not at this'h when it is beingused for smoothing or ironing out arments, and the like; and Fig. '2

is a similar view of the iron, showing the same, however, set on end orupon its heel, so as to cause the automatically operating switch orcurrent interrupter to interrlipt or break the electric circuit; .Fig. 3is a vertical section ofthe iron,-

longitudinal bail which carries the handle showing the broken away itsclosing plate, said view showing in connection therewith, onearrangement and construction of automatically operating electric switchor currentiiiterrupter; and Fig.

Fig. 4 is a plan or top view of the chambered main body of the iron and,

5 is a similar view of the said main body with its cover plate removed,showing within the chambered portion of the body, and in or laundryiron, said section being taken on line 6-6 in said Fig. 3, looking inthe direction of the arrow m; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the saidheat-conducting or distributing plate or element; and Fig. 8 is asimilar Viewof the supporting frame or core of the electrical heatingelement, with the electric wires removed therefrom. Fig. 9 is a detaillongitudinal vertical section, taken on line 99 in said Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrow y, said view being made on a considerablyenlarged scale.-

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the abovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the hollow orchambered main body of the smoothing or laundry iron, which may be of.any desirable thickness and marginal configuration, the same, however,being preferably made with the pointed toe-portion 2, the curvedside-walls 3, and the rear wall or heel-portion 4. As shown in Figs. 3and 5 of the drawings, the toe-portion 2. is made with .an ofi-set, as5, and the side-walls 3 are not of the same thickness throughout, butare made of greater thickness at their middle portions and toward theheel-portion of the iron, being of least thickness at points near thetoeportion 2 of the iron. The purpose of this is that the generatedheat, after the electric current has been shut off when the iron is setupon end or upon its heel-portion, will be retained much longer in thethick partsof the said side-walls 3, and a radiation of the heat isconsequently maintained in the directions toward the interior or chamberof the main body of the iron, and is taken up by the thin bottom 6 ofthe iron, so as to keep said bottom hot for some length of time, evenafter the electric current has been interrupted.

At a point near the rear end of the main body of the iron, said body ismade with a laterally extending wall or partition 7 which is not quiteas high as the side-walls 3, and whereby an auxiliary chamber, as 8, isprovided, the bottom-portion 9 of which is preferably of greaterthickness than the thin bottom 6 of the iron. Within the said chamberedmain body is a thin layer of suitable insulating material, as 10, suchas mica, or the like, said insulating material bein arranged upon saidbottom 6 and extending up the inner surfaces of the walls 3 of the saidchamber, substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings.Arrranged upon this insulation is the heat-pro ducing element or unit,the same in this instance being in the form of a wire-resistance orcoil, as 11, made from suitable wire which is wound in the form of asubstan tially fiat coil upon an open frame-work or core 12,substantially of the configuration shown in the several figures of thedrawings, and more especially in Fig. 8. This frame-work or coreconsists, essentially,of a pair of longitudinally extending members 13and a pair of laterally extending con necting members 14:, all of whichare made from suitable insulating material and are preferably integrallyunited, as will' be cleary evident from an inspection of said Fig. 8 ofthe drawings. As shown, the outer faces of the said members 13 arepreferably serrated or provided with grooves, as 15, for the arrangementof and the proper winding of the wire upon said framework or core 12,and the said end or laterally extending connecting members 14 being ofless thickness than the thickness of the said side or longitudinallyextending members 13, for the purpose to be presently more fullyspecified. The general outline of the said supporting frame or core 12and the windings of the wire-coil thereon are such that the heat-ingelement thus produced will closely fit within the chambered portion ofthe main body of the iron, substantially in the manner represented inFigs. 3, 5 and 6 of the drawings. The heating element or coil 11 issuitably maintained in its proper position within the chambered body 1of the iron, by means of a metal plate or bar16, preferably of thegeneral, configuration shown in the drawings, the said plate or bar 16being comparatively thin, so as to be a good conductor of heat, andhaving a somewhat enlarged head or end-portion 17 which is provided witha screw-receiving hole 18 for the reception of a screw 19, by means ofwhich the said end-portion of the iron plate or bar 16 is secured uponthe off-set portion 5 of said main body, substantially in the mannerillustrated. As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, themain body of the iron plate or bar 16 when thus secured in place restsfirmly upon the upper surfaces of the said cross or laterally extendingmembers 14 of the supporting frame or core ably insulated from the saidcoil by means of a sheet 'of insulating material 27, such as mica, isconnected with the post or screw 28 of one of a pair of switch-elements29 and 30. The element 29 is provided with a contact-member 31, and theelement 30 is provided with a contact-member 32. The otherswitch-element 30has attached to a binding post or screw 33 thereof, theleading-out wire 34 of the main circuit.

The manner-of completing an electric cir-.-

euit through the resistance or coil 11 is by means of a switch-lever 35,which is pivoted at- 36 and has a handle or finger-piece, as 37, bymeans of which it may be manually operated. if desired. -The said lever35 is provided upon its under surface with a contactmaking member 38,see the dotted outline in. Fig. 4 of the drawings which when itmakescontact with both contact-members 31 and 32, as shown, establishes orcompletes an electric circuit through the said resistance or coil 11.Arranged above the said resistance or coil 11 is an insulating plate orsheet 39, of asbestos, or the like, and suitably disposed upon saidjplate or sheet 39 is a metal closing plate 40, which is secured to thesaid main body 1 by means of screws 41,) said screws being screwed intoscrew-receiving holes 42 in the said side-walls 3 of said body. The saidclosing plate 40' is of the same marginal configuration as the -mainbody 1 of the iron, but is somewhat smaller than said body so as tdexpose a'port-ion of the toe and side-walls, andalso the heel-portion ofsaid bod y, thereby forming a suitable rim for-the marginal edge of anouter hollow or chambored cover 43. This cover 43 is provided withsuitably disposed holes or openings 44 which correspond vto thecorrespondingly located screw-threaded bosses or enlargements dry iron.The previously mentioned handle or finger-piece 37 of the switch-lever35 extends through and is movably arranged in an opening 49 with whichthe said cover 43 is provided. The said cover 43 is also made with anopen part, as, 50, which is closed by ineansof a blockor cover 51 of asuitable insulating material, andwhich is provided with perforations 52through which the preriouslv mentioned main circuit wires may pass,substantially in the manner illustrated. Extending rearwardlyandupwardly from the rear wall-portion 53 of the said cover 43 are a pairof bracket-like members 54, and

'Ea'clrarm 56.is formedwith a rearwardly in'ogecting lug 58 and a'forwardly extending another post 62 which is formed with a hole saidswitch-lever -35.

'pivotally connected with said members 54, by means of screws 55, or inany other suitable manner, is a heel-support in the form of a framewhich comprises a pair .of arms 56 and a connecting plate-like member57. 76

lug 59, and when these partsrare in the positions shown in said Figs. 1,2 and 3 of tlie drawings, the said yoke-shaped frame or heel-supportserves as a means. for standing the smoothing or laundry ironupon itsrear end, in the manner illustrated in said. Fig. 2

of the drawings.

In order to interrupt the electric circuit,

when'the iron is placed upon its end, in the 63'of' an angularconformation, said hole 63 also forming a bearing-portion.

Slidably arranged in the circular hole 61 of the post 60 is theend-portion of a screwthreaded shank 64 with which is connected a stem65 of angular cross-section, corresponding to that of the hole'63 in thepost 62, said stein being slidably arranged in said hole 63, but onaccount of the angular cross- 10o section of the said stem 64 and theangular conformation of the hole 63, said stem and said shank arenon-rotatably mounted in the said bearing portion's of the-respectiveposts. The said stem 65 extends through a slot or elongated opening 66in therear or endwall of the cover 43-, having suitably screwed andadjustablv arranged. upon another screw-threaded shank 67 which isconnected with the stem 65, a knob or en largement, as 68. Encirclingthe said stem 65, between the said rear or end wall 53 and the said knob68, is a coiled spring 69, the tendency of the said spring being tonormally move the parts in the direction of the 11s arrow .2 insaid Fig.9. The adjustable arrangement of the said knob or enlargement a 68permits of the proper regulation or adjustment of'these parts, as willbe clearly evident. Suitably connected with the said. 12. switch-lever35 and extending downwardly therefrom is a member 70, said member havingan internally screw-threaded part'Tl .into-which the screw-threadedshank 64 is screwed and is adjusted with relation to the The previouslymentioned. cont'acbmaking member is also connected with the said hank'64by means of a hub-portion 72 which is insulated from the said shank 64by means of a sleeve 73 of a suitable insulating materiahes shown insaid Fig, 9, the parts being retained in their adjusted relations bymeans of s nut 7d, sub- 69 becomes compressed, and the angular-stem ltdturned into in the dotted outlines in said Fig. l eithedrawings,

placed in a reversed position,

of a small heater,

- and screw-threaded shank'fid will move in s direction opposite to thatindicated by the arrow 2, whereby the contact-melting member '38 ismoved rom its electricsl contact-with the contact-member 32, so that theelectric circuit through the resistance or coil 11 is immedietely brokenor interrupted, As soon as the iron is agein taken up end used upon agarment, the said spring 68 ceuses the parts to again assume theirnormal initial positions so that the member 38 again ridges the twocontact-members 31 end 32, and a complete electric circuit-through theresistance or coil is immediately produced, its will be clearly evident.1

At one end of the handle of the smoothing or laundr viron. is a,reversible plate which, wit'i the previously mentioned yokeshaped frameor heel-support, may be the reversed positions indicated and whereby theiron may be with the electric current turned on, so that the heatedbody-portion 1 may be used in the menner or for the purpose of smoothingout nsrrow' ribbons, necleties, end the like.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinetions of the various devices and parts, as well as in the detailsof the construction of the said parts, without departing from the scopeof the present invention, as set forth in the foregoing specification,and as defined in the clauses of the claim which are appended thereto.Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements andcombinations of the various devices and parts as described in the saidspecification, nor do ll confine myself to the exact details of theconstruction of the said parts, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

ll claim i 1. A smoothing or laundry iron comprisin a chambered mainbody, an electric resis tancc coil within said body, said coil bemg ofoblong conformation in cross-section, and a heat-conducting platerigidly secured at one end in engagement with the toe-portion of saidmain body and its free end-portion extending longitudinally through thechamber of said body and within the interior of the said resistancecoil, substantially "as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A smoothing or laundry iron comprismain body ncome ing "it cheinberedmain body, an electric resistence coil within said body, said coil beingof oblong conformation in cross-section sheet-conducting plate securedat one end in engagement wit the toe-portion of said and extendinglongitudinally through the chamber of said body and within, the interiorof the said resistance coil, and an automaticell operating cut-outswitch mounted in sei main body for interrupting the electric circuit tosaid electric resistance coil, substantially as end for the purposes setforth. 1 v

3. A smoothing or laundry iron comprisng a chambered main body, anelectric re- 'sistance coil within said body, said coil being of oblongconformation in cross-section, the said body comprising walls, and eheel-portion, the said side-walls being of greater thickness at theirmiddle portions and toward said heel portion, and

being of least thickness at points near the toe-portion, and aheat-conducting plate secured at its one end upon the toe-portion ofsaid main body and extending longitudinally through the chamber of saidbody and within the interior of the said resistance coil, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth,

4, A smoothingor laundry iron comprising a chambered main body, onelectric resistsnce coil within said body, said coil being oi oblongconformation in cross-section, the said body comprising a toe-portion,sidewalls, and a heel-portion, the said side-walls being of greaterthickness at their middle portions and toward said heel-portion, and 7 atoe-portion, sidebeing of least thickness at points near thetoe-portion, e heat-conducting plate secured atits one end upon thetoe-portion of said main body and extending longitudinally through thechamber of said body and within the interior of the said resistancecoil, and an automatically operating cut-outswitch mounted in said mainbody for interrupting the electric circuit to said resistonce coil.

5. A smoothing or laundry iron compris-v ing a chambered body formedwith a toeportion, side-walls and a heel-portion, said toe-portion beingprovided within said body with an odset, a heating element within thechambered body, a. heat-conducting plate having one end-portion restingupon and rigidly secured tosaid ofiset, and the free end-portion of saidplate extending longitudinally through said chambered body.

6. A smoothing or laundry iron comprising a chambered body formed with atoeportion, side-walls, and a heel portion, said toe-portion beingprovided within said body with an offset, a core-frame of insulatingmaterial arranged within said chambered body, an electric resistancecoil wound upon said core-frame, said coil being of oblong Conformation.in cross-section, a heat-conductmg'plate' having one end-portion restmg upon said offset, and means for rigldly securing said end-portion tosaid offset, the free cud-portion of said plate extending longitudinallyinto saidcore-frame and co-- operating withthe electric resistancecoil'so as to receive the heat from said coiland convey the heat to thetoe-portion of the iron, and the'said free end-portion of said platebeing freely supported upon said coreframe, substantially as and forthe" pur-' poses set forth.

Q7. Asmoothing or laundry iron comprising a chambered body, an open andventilated coil-supporting frame within said body, said frame being madeof insulating material and consisting of a pairof longitudinallyextending members and a pair of laterally extending connecting members,a

resistance coil Wound upon the said longi-' 'tudinally extendingmembers, a heat-conducting plate secured at one end to the toeportion ofsaid chambered body, said late extending longitudinally within the cainber of said body and through the interior of said resistance coil,and said heat-conductmg plate having POl'tlOIlS resting upon the saidlaterally extending connecting mem-' bers of the coil-supporting frame,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A smoothing or laundry ironcomprising a chambered body, an openandventilated coil-supporting frame within said body, said frame being madeof insulating material and consisting of a pair of longitudinallyextending members and a pair of laterally extending connecting members,a

chamber of said main body, a closing platearranged above said resistancecoil and the Said bheat-condxicting plate, a chambered cover arrangedabove said main body and said closing plate, and a bail carrying abandlesecured to said cover. substantially as and for the purposes setforth. g

9. In a smoothing or laundry iron, a main chambered body provided with aheating element, a chambered cover arranged'above and secured upon saidbody, a bail provided with a handle mounted upon said cover, and meansconnected with said iron for supporting it in its reversed posit-ion,consisting of a reversible plate rotatably connected with one end of thesaid handle, and a reversible hin'g ed supporting frame connectedwith'the rear end of said cover, substantially as aind for thepurposes'set forth.

10. An electric flat iron provided with a switch that sup orts the ironand cuts 0d the current when the iron is tilted up on its heel, andaha-ndlewhich is separate and distinct from the switch.

11. An electric iron provided with a switch operated by the weightof'the iron for cutting off the current when the iron is resting in atilted position, and 'a handle which is separate anddistinct from theswitcln 12. .An electric fiat iron provided with an automatic switch'forcutting off the currentwhen the iron is tilted out of working podistinctfrom the switch. j- 13. An electric flat iron provided with a skeletonheel-piece, a heating element, a

handle, a switch for controlling circuit 'sition, and a handle which isseparate and through said heating element, said switch. I

having an operating member which engages the support upon WhlCll. thesaid heel-piece rests when the iron istilted up onits rear end, and ahandle which is separate and distinct from the switch.

14:. An electric flat iron provided with a switch for'automatic'allycutting off the current when the iron is tu'rned up on its heel, anda'flexible circuit cord connected to feed current directly to andthrough the switch to the iron.

1 1-5. In a smoothing or laundry iron, a main chambered body providedwith an electrical heating element, a chambered cover arranged-above-andsecured upon said body,

its

a bail provided with a handle mounted upon said cover,- and meansconnected with said llOIl for supporting the same on end or upside down,compr1s1ng a pair of bracket-like members rigidly connected with theheel of saidcover', a frame-member pivotally connectedwith saidbracket-like members comprising, a pairof arms connected at their freeends by a connecting-plate, a forwardly projecting lug connected withthe lower end of each. arm for engaging the heel of the iron to positionsaid frame-member in its folded position, arearwardly projecting lugconnected with each. arm which acts as a rest in congunctron with saidconnectingplate of the' frame-member when support-ing said iron on end,and a reversible platevrotatably connected with one end of said handle,which when positioned assists in sup-- porting said iron upside down.

16. A smoothing or laundry iron comprising a main chamberedbody-provided with a laterally extending artition forming at theheel-portion of the 1ron an auxiliary chamber, an electric heatingelement within the main chamber of said body, and an electric switchwithin said auxiliary chamber mermally clbsimg the midi eiedaric beamingelement, smd; swlfich beset forth above 1 have hereunto set my handl in-mvfied1 with means extending firom this 31st day of August, .1911. thei-men'al-portion 0f the iron for a-uianmaair ALBERT NEGLA, L3cally-ampamting the switch s0 as w intermyt Witnesses:

the sazld electriccircu'it, when the iron 11s FIREDKQ Ce FNTZEL,

pflacadl upon its heel. Y He Wu Fmmm'mm.

eiectric circuifi thmugh In mstixzmmyg Liam Ii chim the imwmim

